Fortune Reels (Wazdan): Slot Review & Theme:

As is the case with many of the slots produced by Wazdan, Fortune Reels is an oriental-themed video slot. The graphics of this slot depict the oriental theme quite remarkably. However, the visuals of this title are clearly not the show-stopper. Fortune Reels is essentially a compilation of all the best features created by Wazdan. Players can embark on a fantastic slot experience while they chase the grand Jackpot of this title, which can be found in the hold-and-win round.

The background of this slot is kept relatively simple, which is probably a good thing considering the symbols of this title are exceptionally intricately designed. The background features a dark blue coloring with white outlines of clouds scattered throughout. The soundtrack features a calming electronic mix with a slight oriental theme thrown into it. This makes the overall atmosphere of the slot pleasantly coherent.

Pay Table and Bet Sizes

The betting range of Fortune Reels is suitable for both casual players and high rollers, with a minimum betting amount of $0.1 and a maximum of $100.

The symbols of Fortune Reels have been designed with a dazzling touch of glamour. The low-paying symbols can include colorful royals with a golden trim, such as a Jack, a Queen, a King, and an Ace, offering payouts of 0.6x, 0.8x, 1x, and 1.2x. The high-paying symbols can include golden Chinese ornaments consisting of a pot of gems, an elephant's head, a horseshoe, and an oil lamp, offering 1.5x, 2x, 4x, and 10x payouts. To achieve these payouts, players must land at least 6 symbols of a kind within a winning line.

About Fortune Reels

Despite the abundance of features within Fortune Reels, the most alluring aspect of this video slot is the extremely customizable gameplay. Players can change the volatility rating with a single click thanks to Wazdan’s Volatility Level™ mechanic. Players can switch between low, medium, and high volatilities whenever they please; this doesn't change the max win potential but slightly affects the hit rate and, in some cases, changes payout values.

The gameplay of Fortune Reels takes place on a 6-reel by 6-row grid, but the grid changes to 6-reels and 4-rows within the bonus round. Fortune Reels also has a phenomenal number of paylines totaling 46,656 different winning ways. Finally, the maximum winning potential of this slot is set at 2,100x the base bet, which is fairly low for a slot with an 18.85% hit frequency.
Features of Fortune Reels

As mentioned earlier, Fortune Reels is essentially a compilation of all the best features Wazdan has to offer. It’s quite remarkable that the developer has managed to include this many features into a video slot without making it overly complicated.

While there is an abundance of added features within this title, the main feature revolves around the hold-and-win bonus round. Though the focus is centered around the bonus round, players can also benefit from wild symbols and a special sack symbol; these symbols will help players achieve more frequent winning combinations and larger prize values, respectively.
Cascading Reels

The cascading reels feature has become an extremely popular addition to video slots. This feature is a fan favorite among slot enthusiasts because it will remove the symbols that have triggered a winning combination from the grid and allow new symbols to fall into their respective positions. This will allow players to achieve consecutive winning combinations within a single spin, making the gameplay exceptionally lucrative even in the base game.
Wild Symbols

The wild symbol within Fortune Reels is styled as a Chinese firecracker. This symbol can land on all reels and will substitute for all regular pay symbols. Additionally, the wild symbol will expand to the top row of the grid; therefore, whenever it lands on the bottom row, it will cover the entire reel in its position. This symbol will greatly increase the opportunity to achieve a winning combination when it lands.
Sack Symbol

The sack symbol is seen as a red sack filled with gold coins. When this symbol lands at the same time that 5 bonus symbols land, the accumulated prize value attached to each of the bonus symbols will be paid out. Essentially, this symbol will allow players to collect the cash values attached to the bonus symbols without activating the bonus round. Therefore, the sack symbol is also only available during the base game.
Hold The Jackpot

The hold the Jackpot round is activated by landing at least 6 bonus symbols during the base game. The round begins with 6 symbols on the new 6-reel by 4-row grid, and for each new symbol that lands, the respin counter will be reset to 3 respins. Each bonus symbol will have a random cash value attached to it with a value anywhere between 1x to 10x the base bet. During this feature, there is also an added row above the reels where only special symbols and Jackpot symbols may land. The Jackpot symbols can come in 3 variations, including a mini, minor, and major Jackpot, each awarding payouts of 20x, 50x, and 150x the base bet, respectively. The grand Jackpot of 1,000x, the base bet, is only achieved when all 27 positons on the bonus grid are filled. Finally, there are 3 special symbols within Fortune Reels, and they will influence the bonus round as follows:

• Golden Ox Coin - accumulates all values from any Coins directly below and applies a random multiplier between x1 and x9.
• Money Tree - adds 3 to 8 Gold Coins to the 8 positions below and increases the value of Gold Coins already present.
• Mystery Symbol - can turn into any special symbol, cash symbol, or Jackpot symbol, and this is revealed as the feature ends.
  

Gamble Feature

For all the risk-loving players, Wazdan has added a gamble feature to Fortune Reels. After each winning combination, players can choose to gamble their winning to double the value of their winnings. The gamble feature is extremely simple; a spinning coin is displayed with two sides, red and green. Players must guess which color the coin will land on. The gamble feature can be used 7 consecutive times, with each turn doubling the last value. If players guess incorrectly, all winnings will be lost.

Feature Buy-in

Wazdan has cleverly catered to all the hasty players who aren’t willing to wait for the bonus round to activate naturally. Players can skip the base game and instantly access the Hold the Jackpot round by paying a price of 100x the base bet.

Summary

After a quick glance at the features that are present within Fortune Reels, players will notice that this video slot is one of the most feature-rich slots in the developer's library. This slot has just about every rewarding feature that players could imagine. With an option to change the volatility level, this slot is an excellent choice for any slot enthusiast.